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Would you change her default specials to her custom moves.

Yes

No

Unless custom moves arelegal.

Just buff Palutena instead.

Smash Journeyman

Though guaranteed to return, it's clear she needs a buff if she can't use her custom moves. She is hurt a lot more than most characters since the new shield stun system. Also I think her voice should be changed to the one from Uprising since she was busy during ssb4.

I don't think Zelda or Palutena should try to be more like Mewtwo. Mewtwo is pretty much a cookie cutter glass canon, using multiple moves to rack up damage quickly and go for the kill while being light as a feather. What I think Zelda is supposed to be is a defensive character who pesters from afar while restricting and punishing approaches. Palutena's default moveset seems to follow the same basic strategy as Zelda but with more approach shutdown as Reticle allows her to pester from afar while her reflect, counter, warp, and high priority and invincible moves let her take down any attacking opponents, but her customs do allow her to somewhat use Mewtwo's glass cannon concept.
Obviously, her intended playstyle doesn't work well, but I don't think she should just be made into another glass cannon. Change out a few of her default specials, redo a few of her normals, and rebalance most of her moveset to capitalise on how defensive it could be.

If you can't understand the script data, then I'll mention the most notable changes...

The neutral attack's jab hits on frame 3, and can transition over to the infinite faster, even while you're holding the attack button. Palutena no longer rebounds, enabling her to execute her infinite, even after the jab clangs.

The f-tilt hits as early as frame 5, and delivers multiple hits that can Autolink aerial targets. The final hit deals the most knockback.

The u-tilt hits as early as frame 5, and the looping hits can trap fighters better. The final hit deals the most knockback.

The d-tilt hits as early as frame 6, and has a 100% trip rate on grounded targets.

The f-smash and d-smash no longer have a sourspot. Instead, they have a clean hit, a late hit, and then a windbox.

Palutena's aerials receive less ending lag. Additionally, they receive damage and knockback improvements to be more effective as KO makers.

The up aerial's auto-cancel period has been fixed up so that Palutena can auto-cancel a few frames after the attack finishes up.

Palutena's grab range has been improved a bit.

Palutena can use her pummel at a faster rate, but the damage output per hit is lower.

Most of Palutena's throws have less ending lag, which especially includes the d-throw, where Palutena can perform follow-ups more easily after using it.

Explosive Flame's frame duration is shorter.

Heavenly Light has less start-up lag and ending lag, and the flinchless hitboxes deal stronger knockback.

Projectiles that get reflected by Reflect Barrier now deal 1.2x their normal damage.

Counter's counter window becomes active on frame 5, and has less ending lag as well.

The counterattack deals stronger knockback, has no sourspots, and is unblockable, making it more practical to use than before. Ending lag is also reduced.

Lightweight improves Palutena's mobility a bit more, with her ground mobility being increased 1.6x, while her air mobility is increased 1.8x. The cooldown penalty on her mobility is also less severe; 0.6x ground mobility; 0.8x air mobility.

Celestial Firework's frame duration is shorter, and the intangible period has been altered as well.

On an aesthetic note, a good portion of Palutena's attacks receive magic effects.

And while not mentioned on the previous post, changes to Palutena's attributes would include the following...

Mewtwo would still dash faster if Palutena doesn't have Lightweight activated.

Anyway, the way the developers made Palutena just doesn't work very well, even though she's not a bottom 5 fighter in the competitive scene. The moveset could've easily been made to be more offensive in nature.

Smash Journeyman

As one of my most expected characters from the past game, I was kinda disappointed by her lack of viability,
I hope she comes back reworked and buffed, because previously she was just like a mashup of bad moves from other characters.

Smash Ace

Been a competitive Palu main for 3 1/2 years (since a week after Smash 3DS came out), so here's my two cents on buffing her without changing her moveset or specials:

-Jab - comes out 1 or 2 frames faster; rapid jab has 2-3 frames shaved off of its endlag. This will make it harder to escape from linking them together (I picture it as similar to a Mario utilt situation where it requires SDI and a double jump to escape effectively), and rapid jab is less risky to use as a mixup.

-Ftilt - gets reworked to be similar to dtilt in terms of properties and framedata; one hitbox that is thrown out for a few frames, has kill potential at high percentages, and little endlag relative to its range. It still tramples attacks while it's out, though. This will drastically increase its usability as both a defensive wall and a good punish for whiffs and spot dodges; it essentially trades active hitbox time for safety and utility. I think dtilt in its current state is useful in the right situations, but it is useless against shorthops; this will help cover those situations.

-Utilt - comes out 2-3 frames faster, has 3-4 frames shaved off of its endlag, and add grounded hitboxes on every frame of the attack that send opponents to the center so that it doesn't have a blindspot against short characters (maybe add particles of light to the ground on either side of Palutena to reflect this). This will make it easier to land, safer, and easier to set up for followups on hit (Ideally, this would give her a utilt > uair kill confirm at the right percents).

-Dtilt - comes out 3 frames faster with less knockback, but gains a trip percentage

-Dash Attack - knockback angle adjusted to be more horizontal; this will help with gaining stage control

-Nair - 2-3 frames shaved off of landing lag; ideally leads to jab or grab out of a drag-down situation and makes it safer for crossing up shields

-Uair - 3-5 frames shaved off of landing lag and fix her autocancel frames; makes short hop uair safer and allows her to autocancel it from a full hop. Currently, her autocancel frames are so late that you still get landing lag from buffering a full hop uair, despite being able to act before you land; you have to A-land with fair in this situation and trade uair's landing lag with fair's.

-Dair - 2 frames shaved off of landing lag

-Grab - Standing and dash grab have hitboxes that extend to the ground; prevents shorter characters from crouching under them

-Fthrow - Slightly increase knockback to be more reliable for setting up edgeguards, and getting quick stage control

-Bthrow - Change angle to be more horizontal; Sakurai angle makes this throw pretty much useless

-Uthrow - Kill throw at percents similar to Lucas; maybe slightly later if it's too powerful

-Autoreticle - Make the shots come out 2-4 frames earlier and change the stating position of the shots to directly in front of Palutena; this will prevent faster characters from dashing under them and make the move a little more useful in forcing approaches and reactions.

-Counter - Counter frames come out 4 frames earlier, increase set percent/knockback and size of counterattack hitbox (should reach slightly below her all the way out to the end of the staff)

Palu's biggest weaknesses are in her approach, framedata, and kill potential. These tweaks would give her more percent and advantage out of winning neutral exchanges, assist her against faster characters, make it easier to force approaches, and give her more kill options.

It's a me! Tali-o!

She definitely needs reworking in the moveset department but I think she needs an overhaul with her overall design. Her artwork model looks fine but her in-game model looks janky...she makes the WFT look more alive than herself. I just see soulless, lifeless eyes coming from Palutena. I would like Palutena to be more akin to Pits design than the realistic one that she has.

Smash Lord

There's not much to talk about tbh, she's looking slightly less blasé than in Smash 4. The changes to her specials were questionable at best, with Autoreticle and Explosive Flame fulfilling the same long range pestering niche and Reflect being added onto Counter meaning she isn't able to have a constant reflector out, and none of her normals were changed at all besides potential endlag reduction.

Smash Cadet

I don't think she'll have an echo. I feel like the mechanic changes will help Palutena a lot especially the smaller ledge snaps which will make N-Air edgeguarding even stronger. I also have a feeling that her side special will be Angelic Missile and hopefully Superspeed which will make her neutral a lot better.

Smash Lord

There's not much to talk about tbh, she's looking slightly less blasé than in Smash 4. The changes to her specials were questionable at best, with Autoreticle and Explosive Flame fulfilling the same long range pestering niche and Reflect being added onto Counter meaning she isn't able to have a constant reflector out, and none of her normals were changed at all besides potential endlag reduction.

Start-up lag is among the biggest issues with Palutena's neutral attack and tilts. Most fighters can grab Palutena before her neutral jab's hitboxes even activate; Palutena's neutral jab hits on frame 8 (one frame later than Bowser's first punch with his neutral jab), while most fighters' standing grabs have their grab hitboxes activate as early as frame 6 or 7.

Needless to say, in a close-ranged battle, Palutena would easily lose against the fighters who can strike quickly.

Smash Lord

Start-up lag is among the biggest issues with Palutena's neutral attack and tilts. Most fighters can grab Palutena before her neutral jab's hitboxes even activate; Palutena's neutral jab hits on frame 8 (one frame later than Bowser's first punch with his neutral jab), while most fighters' standing grabs have their grab hitboxes activate as early as frame 6 or 7.

Needless to say, in a close-ranged battle, Palutena would easily lose against the fighters who can strike quickly.

It also doesn't help that Palutena's attacks lack the KO power to make up for their long start-up. She could've easily been made to be more offensive if most of her standard attacks had their hitboxes activate much sooner.

Anyway, I'll just put down a list of ways to improve Palutena's viability...

Smash Rookie

But yeah, she definitely needs a buff. I'm hoping she'll be able to land with nair and follow up with it similar to how Richter did in his trailer. I hope her f-tilt and u-tilt will be viable, and her dash attack can kill a little earlier at least. It's a shame you won't be able to cheese with side b anymore because that was hilarious, but at the same time I'm curious to find out what new things Explosive Flame will bring!

Smash Legend

But yeah, she definitely needs a buff. I'm hoping she'll be able to land with nair and follow up with it similar to how Richter did in his trailer. I hope her f-tilt and u-tilt will be viable, and her dash attack can kill a little earlier at least. It's a shame you won't be able to cheese with side b anymore because that was hilarious, but at the same time I'm curious to find out what new things Explosive Flame will bring!